A growing number of lay Catholics would like to take them at their word.
However, during the 19th century an increasing number of Catholics moved there.
Brazil has the largest number of Catholics in the world.
For some time the number of Catholics remained limited to eight or ten.
By the year 1857, the number of Catholics increased to 454.
He reported that the number of Catholics in the area numbered 38.
He increased the number of Catholics in the diocese from 301,000 to 348,000.
This caused a growing number of Catholics who were living in the quarter.
At the same time, there was an increase in number of Catholics among the civil population.
Then, though, the number of Catholics began to grow slowly.